Violet Legion
The Violet Legion is a mostly Codex-adherant chapter, formed with the geneseed of their progenitor, the Imperial Fists. They were initially founded as a standing force for the once-strategically important world of Ythaka, but the Nova Terra Interregnum forced the young chapter into bloody battle, mere decades after the chapter was founded. The Violet Legion is known for using clever tactics and an incredible level of planning to defeat their enemies before battle has even been started. While they specialise in fighting defensively, they are also experienced in siege warfare, often being called upon when an impenetrable fortress needs to be destroyed. The geneseed of the Violet Legion was manipulated, in order to bring the Su'san Membrane and Bletcher's Gland to the geneseed of the Imperial Fists. While this particular experiment failed, a curious side effect emerged in the form of a perfect memory. A Violet Legionnaire learns things instantly and is literally incapable of forgetting them. This has, however led to members of the Violet Legion to simply stop functioning, because they have too many memories. This was called 'Overloading' by the Apothacaries of the Violet Legion. Once a Space Marine becomes 'Overloaded' he has to euthanised by an Apothecary, as he becomes unable to fight. 'Overloading' has resulted in Space Marines from the Violet Legion to have some of the shortest lifespans amongst other Space Marines. History Founded in 054.M35, in the 9th Founding, the Violet Legion was at first supposed to be stationed at Ythaka, a world located at the fringes of Ultima Segmentum, to combat potential alien incursions from the Sagittarius Arm. However, the Nova Terra Interregnum forced the Violet Legion to be repositioned to Segmentum Pacificus, where they fought the Ur-Council of Nova Terra for nearly a millenium. The Chapter's Founding - 054-075.M35 The Imperial Tarot predicted a threat coming from the Sagittarius Arm in the form of an alien empire that held the potential to topple the Imperium, and so the Violet Legion was founded (this warning proved to be correct, albeit 2 millenia early). For this reason, the Violet Legion was created with a heavy emphasis on defensive warfare and the ability to counterattack swiftly and with deadly efficiency. However, before the Violet Legion managed to relocate to Ythaka, where they were supposed to be stationed, the Ur-Council of Nova Terra declared independance from the Imperium, and the Violet Legion was needed elsewhere. 'Nova Terra Interregnum '- 075-975.M35 With the beginning of the one of the largest civil wars in Imperial history, every fighting force available had to be brought to the Segmentum Pacificus, in order ot bring the rebelious Ur-Council to heel. This of course, included the Violet Legion, who participated in some of the war's bloodiest battles; there was never a time during the Nova Terra Interregnum when the Violet Legion wasn't fighting some foe or another. During this time, the Violet Legion took very heavy casualties and recruited nearly anyone they could find in the very short periods of rest they could afford between campaigns. This ineveitably led to some 'undesirable' elements to be recruited into the Violet Legion, which at times even included low-level mutants. To this day, certain Imperial forces mistrust the Violet Legion for their rather liberal recruitment policies. The Battle for Croto The first major campaign the Violet Legion took part in was the Battle for Croto. Croto was a Forge World, captured early by the rebels, and was vital to their war effort. The Violet Legion was selected amongst Imperial forces to conquer the world and return it to the light of the Imperium. Chapter Master Anchises, the first Chapter Master of the Violet Legion, gladly accepted his orders and set out to bring Croto to heel as soon as possible. It was during this battle that the Violet Legion's keen planning abilities really came to shine. Chapter Master Anchises and his sub-commanders planned battles meticulously to ensure minimal losses for the Chapter and minimal damages to the Forge World, while maximising the casaulties for the rebels. Croto fell quickly, in 3 short months, and the Violet Legion was celebrated for their excellent victory. However, the first cases of 'Overloading' had started presenting themselves during this battle and apothacaries were becoming increasingly worried about the state of the Marines in the Chapter. The Campaigns of Anchises Chapter Master Anchises led the Violet Legion on many successful campaigns throughout the Segmentum Pacificus, bringing many worlds back into the Emperor's light. That is not to say that the Violet Legion was without defeat. The Kipr II campaign ended being a disaster for the Chapter, who lost almost 200 marines attempting to take this fortress world and the Battle of Actium resulted in the loss of a strategically important planet that the Violet Legion was supposed to keep safe. However, none of these defeats would match the disastrous Aybilian Campaign. The Aybilian Campaign Aybil was an agri world located right in the middle of the Segmentum Pacificus. It could have been safely ignored, save for the fact that it guarded the path to Nova Terra. As soon as independance was proclaimed, the Ur-Council began to fortify the world, and by 204.M35 Aybil was well-and-truly a fortess world, one whose position could determine the fate of the war. The Violet Legion was called on to take it. Anchises assembled the entire chapter to do this herculean task, a mistake which almost cost the chapter's existence. As soon as the Violet Legion entered the star system in which Aybil was located, they were set upon by a rebel fleet. Anchises had not accounted for such heavy resistance amongst the rebel fleet and as a result, he had not requested much support from the Imperial Navy. The Violet Legion's fleet prevailed, but took large losses in the proccess. The Battle Barge ''Heavenly Justice ''took heavy damage and several strike cruisers were lost. Nevertheless, the chapter would continue its assault. Chapter Organisation The Violet Legion is a codex-adherent chapter in most ways, with few deviations, the biggest being in naming conventions in the Chapter. The Chapter Master of the Violet Legion is called the Legate, his Captains are called Centurions, Sergeants are called Decanii and Companies are called Cohorts. The first five Cohorts also have a 'Praetorian Guard' who are the 10 most elite warriors of the Cohort, armed with Terminator armour and used to spearhead attacks. Category:Imperial Fists Successors Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:9th Founding